Making a Pumpkin Flower Centerpiece with Seasonal Items

Many people use floral bouquets as Thanksgiving or autumn centerpieces, and they can be very beautiful. There is a way, though, to make this type of centerpiece more original and more fun; instead of using traditional vases or baskets to hold your flowers and greenery, try using seasonal items for your containers.

This is actually a fun and easy craft that your kids can do, after an adult does a little bit of preparation. And wouldn't your kids be so proud to have a centerpiece that they made sitting on your Thanksgiving dinner table?

Even young children can assist with this craft, so this is a great way to keep all of your kids occupied on Thanksgiving Day while the adults are busy cooking and preparing the dinner table. Simply set up a crafting area with the necessary supplies ahead of time, and make sure that an adult has done the following:

Supplies needed for adult preparation:

--1 Pumpkin (medium size)

--3 - 5 Bell peppers (orange or red); choose large ones that will sit steadily

--Sharp knife

--Large spoon

--Lemon juice

--Paper towel

Directions for adult preparation:

Step 1: Use the knife to cut the top off of the pumpkin and the bell peppers. Set tops aside. Slice the inner membranes away from the sides carefully without penetrating the sides.

Step 2: Use the spoon to completely hollow out the insides of the pumpkin and the bell peppers.

Step 3: Dab the insides and cut areas of the pumpkin and bell peppers with the lemon juice using the paper towel. This will prevent the vegetables from turning brown as quickly.

Step 4: Make sure that the pumpkin and the bell peppers will sit steadily on their bottoms; if necessary, slice a bit of the bottoms to make them flatter so that they will sit firmly without wobbling.

That's it for the adult part of this craft. Everything else can be done by the kids. Here's what to have the kids do:

Supplies needed:

--Artificial flowers in fall colors (consider taking your kids to the craft store to choose these; make sure to select flowers on stems, not loose flowers)

--Artificial greenery (choose stems with small-size or medium-size leaves)

--Pipe cleaners

--Scissors

Step 1: Take a few flowers along with a greenery stem. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the stems, twisting tightly up the stems to make sure that they stay together.

Step 2: Repeat with the other flower and greenery stems. Choose the flowers and greenery randomly; it isn't necessary to pair the same flowers and greenery each time or to use the same number of flower stems each time. You may want to use 3 flowers and 1 greenery stem in one bunch, for example, and then try 2 flowers and 2 greenery stems in the next bunch.

Step 3: Arrange flower/greenery bunches in the hollowed-out pumpkin. Place about half of the bunches in the pumpkin in a random manner.

Step 4: Take the scissors and snip the greenery and flower stems in the remaining bunches so that they are short enough to sit nicely in the hollowed-out bell peppers.

Step 5: Arrange the snipped bunches in the bell peppers randomly.

Step 6: Place the pumpkin in the center of the table where the centerpiece will sit. Place the bell peppers around the pumpkin.

That's it! Simple and easy, yet very beautiful. The pumpkin will last for several days, up to a week; the green peppers will only last a day or two. Save the flowers for next year-or, get a straw wreath and let your kids add the flowers to the wreath to create a fall hanging for your door. This centerpiece will definitely catch the eyes of your guests, and your little crafters will be so happy that they were able to contribute to the Thanksgiving holiday or autumn table.